Hero
by Snoppies
Summary: Baron, a half-cat, is the only one that cannot hide what he is, for he cannot use his magic for that, and he is singled out. While he lives through embarrassment, he finds himself in love with a girl, a human girl that has even worse issues of her own, and will stop at nothing to help her. HaruXBaron
1. Chapter One

**Note: **This is my first fic on here, so please feel free to point out any errors. I'll try to have good grammar. Also, this story is based on the song "Hero" by the Japanese band supercell. I also am going to keep Baron a cat. Forever. In MOST of my fics. I think he's cooler as a cat.

~Hero:Chapter One~

It was early morning, and a young baron was just now awakening. It was the same old routine, get up, get ready for school, then get embarrassed in front of his crush. Not to mention being made fun of. At least this was his last year there, after this he would not have to embarrass himself everyday. He went to a human school even though he was half-cat, but many other cats went to the school. Everyone knew about the Cat Kingdom, but it was still uncommon to see one walking among humans, on their hind legs. Even if they were half-cat. All those cats used magic to turn themselves human, so they could fit in with the humans. All except for the baron. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. He had studied and studied, but all the attempts to turn human failed. Other magic worked for him, but he couldn't change his species. Perhaps it was because he was a half-cat. One of his ancestors had married a human and the line had continued as half-cats. _  
_

He was a baron, and once he had graduated out high school, he would be the owner of the estate he now lived in. He had already learned everything he needed to for his future. He was going to marry either a cat or human, although he doubted a human would accept... what he looked like. Although, a man fell for his ancestor, so why wouldn't a human girl fall for him? He would like to think that it was possible, but he knew the truth. His family wanted him to marry a human, almost all the rest of his family that came before him had. His mother had married a young man whom was named The Baron Thomas von Gikkengen. All humans turned into cats once they entered the Cat Kingdom, and if they didn't get out before the dawn of the next day, the change would be permanent and they would be a cat forever.

That is, if they couldn't use magic to turn themselves back.

"Humbert?"

Baron broke from his thoughts, and got up. He walked out of his room, dressed in his school uniform. "Don't worry mother, I'm up."

His mother was an orange half-cat similar to him, but was a lighter solid shade of orange than her son,who was a darker orange and cream. She was in the kitchen, and was setting breakfast on the table when her son walked in. "Oh, good. Here, eat something, you have about ten to fifteen minutes left before you leave." She smiled at him and took her seat at the table.

"Thank you, mother," He took his own seat on the other end of the small table. "Mother, you know you mustn't have to cook the food yourself, we have plenty of maids."

The lighter cat shook her head. "No, I don't want to have to make them do too much. They do enough work anyway," She finished her food and brought it to the sink. "Also, I love cooking, and I wouldn't want to forget how to do it," She set her empty dish in the sink, then looked at the time. After a moment, she gave out a small gasp. "Oh, my, look at the time! Humbert, you should be going now." She gestured towards the big Grandfather Clock.

"Alright then," Baron handed his mother his empty plate. "I'll see you after school." With that, he gave a light kiss on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen. The cat then gathered the needed things for the day, and walked out the front door.

As he went through the portal to the human world, he prepared himself for the stares from his classmates. As he entered the building, he walked down the hall to his class. As the orange cat was walking, he bumped into one of his two friends, a large cat named Muta. Except Muta could use the magic, so he was a large human with brown hair. When he was a cat, he was cream-colored and had brown fur covering his right ear.

"Pardon me." Baron quickly muttered before he collided with his friend.

"Baron, I thought you said that you weren't clumsy?"

"Sorry, Muta. I wasn't thinking properly."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You and your manners." Muta said with a snort. "You think properly for tests and such, but don't when you're doing anything else," The large brunette said with a small chuckle. "It's the complete opposite with me."

"Sometimes I wonder whether you will graduate or not, with your grades, but somehow you always manage."

They walked into the classroom, and took their respective seats. Baron's seat was near the front, and his fat friend took his seat in the middle. Everyone was talking, so the teacher had to quiet them down and then called the role. He paused before saying the tawny cat's name, but said cat just ignored it. In the few minutes of free time the class had before starting, Baron was about to pick up the book he brought with him, but it was no where in sight. He searched frantically for the book and cursed to himself for losing it. Those books were hard to find and expensive, not that he didn't have enough money. He was about to ask to go look for it in the halls when the class started. All the books he read were written a very long time ago, and he had an admiration for old folktales and medieval things.

A few minutes after class started, one of the girls in his class walked in the door, and tried to sneak her way in without being noticed.

The teacher didn't have to look away from writing on the chalk board to know she was late. It was a daily routine."I know you're there, Ms. Yoshioka. Now, take your seat."

Everyone laughed. The girl stood up, muttered a quick "Sorry, sir." and walked to her seat, her face turning redder every second. The baron felt sorry for her, she had to go through embarrassment everyday like him. She did not only embarrass herself every morning, but all the time when she trips, falls, or is caught not paying attention in class. A few times she had left her things at her home because she was in such a rush. She had to call her mother to bring them to her at school.

Once the class ended, it was time for lunch. He pulled out his bento box as Muta sat next to him. As always, Muta had packed an extra-large bento box for his appetite that never seemed to be satisfied.

"How did you not fall asleep at all through that entire lesson? I had to stop myself from snoring at least four times, so how do you do that?"

"Pardon? All I do is pay attention and write notes, what the teacher says can be interesting, and almost everything is vital test information," Baron picked up his chopsticks. "Not to mention that it distracts me from the stares I get from the rest of the class..." He muttered, mostly to himself.

"Oh, boy. Come on Baron, you've always been wallowing in your self-pity. Just ignore them and forget what they say. It's easy. If you want, I can take 'em out for ya." Muta flexed his arm and gestured to the so called 'muscles'. "Or is it Louise that's bothering you?"

At that, Baron gave him a glare and flicked an ear toward the group to their right. The group was of his crush and her friends. He looked over to see a beautiful blonde with blue eyes. The moment he saw her, he fell in love. He didn't know he was staring until Muta raised an eyebrow.

"Go over there."

"What?" Baron looked at Muta as if he were crazy.

"You heard me. Go. Maybe she'll like you if you try talking to her."

"No, I couldn't, she wouldn't like me, at least,... not with a face like mine."

With that, Muta got up and pushed Baron in the group's direction. The cat stumbled a bit, but regained his posture as he slowly advanced towards the small group. As he was walking, he heard them start whispering. He pulled his ears back, not wishing to hear what they said, but the noise found its way into his ears anyway.

"That thing has been looking over here,"

"What's with him? It's creepy."

"Get away, stray cat."

But what hurt him most was the way Louise was staring at him.

Baron saw the looks on their faces and automatically apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." During his outburst, he made a small meow that everyone in the class heard. Everyone laughed. Even Louise. He hung his head, and was burning red. _There it goes again, those laughing_ voices. He shook his head. _It's fine, I'm used to this already. Just forget about it, ignore what they_ say. He repeated his friend's words in his mind. But it was only getting worse. His heart was bursting apart, and he never felt anything so painful in his life before. But that's when he heard her.

"Hey, I know this guy!"

* * *

Note: So, how'd you like it? I really enjoyed writing this first chapter, and please let me know if you have any questions.


	2. Chapter Two

~Hero-Chapter Two~

The girl who had been late that morning stood there, and her face turned slightly red. She looked surprised at her outburst, but decided if she didn't say anything more, she'd just embarrass herself again. The brunette tried to ignore the fact that this was a cat, when cats were what she always tried to avoid. "You-You're... What is it? Baron? Am I right or not?" She was about to say 'that cat', but silently scolded herself when she was going to. What does it matter if he was a cat? He still has a heart, emotion, and a brain. So what difference could it be if he had whiskers and a tail? This made her feel a bit better, and she managed a small smile.

Baron was amazed, no one had ever stood up for him ever in his life. He looked up and saw that the brunette was the one that was late every morning. The gold cat then answered her question by nodding. What was her name? It was something Yoshioka, he was sure of that. But why? Why was she doing this if it didn't have anything to do with her? The cat looked up at the girl with his eyes widened as far as they would go. His friend had almost the same expression as him, but afterward was sending angry glares at the people who had made the orange cat so embarrassed.

"You.. You dropped this," the brunette pulled out the book that the cat had lost. "In... In the halls."

Baron finally found the courage to speak and looked a bit less surprised. "How did you know that it was mine?"

The girl was very nervous, and tried to find the right words to say. "I always saw you reading these kind of books, so I thought that this book might be yours. I'm sorry if it isn't... I was trying to help, but..." She fell silent and looked to the ground. She started to turn redder and she felt even more nervous. There were people giggling in the background. "I'm sorry." The girl looked down to the ground.

"Don't be," Baron tried to find the right words to say. And after a while, he continued. "You were only trying to help. And yes, it is my book, so thank you for finding it." He smiled at her.

The brunette looked surprised when the cat had said that and looked up. Her eyes suddenly had a faraway look, and she paused for a while. She snapped out of her trance when the giggling turned into whispers. She reddened. "Um... I really like this kind of stuff," She paused again. "C-Could you tell me where you get them? Or, If you don't mind, m-may I borrow this book?" The girl quickly said the last few words, and after that, she mumbled, just as quick, "I'm sorry, it's just... I.. I I'm so sorry. Here, y-you can have it back." She said that, handed him the book and ran away. She didn't know where she was going to go, just somewhere she couldn't embarrass herself again. She went into a closet and closed the door. The girl then slowly sat down on the ground, leaning against the door for support. Tears streamed down her red face, and she covered her mouth with her hand to cover her sobs. She would return when lunch was over. _Now I'm going to have to deal with another cat. Why does my life get worse and worse by the minute?_

The Baron stood there, holding his book and staring at the place the girl was just at. She seemed to be lost, her eyes always having a faraway look. There was more that she had gone through besides just being embarrassed  
everyday like him. Something had happened to her, something that was important and changed her life much. She was in a worse situation than him, and it may have been her own fault, or it was something else that had caused it. Whatever it was, it seemed as if she couldn't get out of this situation, whereas when the baron graduated, he would be out of his. Mostly. Suddenly he felt worse for her than he had felt for anyone else. He wanted to help her, to help her get out of this situation that she had found herself trapped in. He wanted to make her happy.

"Hey, Baron, are you okay?"

The voice of his friend broke him from his line of thoughts. "Hm? Oh, Muta. Yes, I'm fine... I'm not sure about that girl, though." Baron sighed.

"Oh, don't worry about Chicky. She'll be fine, I'm sure. She's been through worse than this, remember?" The large man stretched before he and the rest of the class returned to their lunch.

"Yes, she's been through much, much worse.." The tawny cat whispered this to himself before returning to his own lunch.

Once the day was over with, Baron walked with his fat friend, who was now a cat, to the portal that led to the Cat Kingdom. As they were walking, a crow flew onto Baron's shoulder.

"So, how did the day go?

"Fairly well, Toto."

Muta snorted. "Apart from the fact that Baron failed to get a girl then be hugely embarrassed while embarrassing another girl who gave him his lost book, it was pretty good."

At that, Baron slightly grimaced and reddened.

"And what do you do? All you do is sit there and tell him to man up. Can't you do something to cheer him up, or at least try to make him feel better?" Toto gave Muta an angry glare. "Oh, yeah. Marshmallows can't do that. Sorry, I forgot."

"You shut up! I try to cheer him up, and at least I'm always by his side, Birdbrain!"

"At least I'm his real friend."

"Who's known him longer?! It was me, Birdbrain, so I would know what a real friend is! Also, I'm one of Barons best friends!"

"You already called me that, piggy. Plus, I'm one of those best friends."

"SHUT UP, CHICKEN!"

Baron didn't listen to his friends' bickering, nor did he care. When they fought, they really don't mean the things they said, so Baron just ignored the two of them when they did. As they reached the portal, Toto bid his farewell, and left to his own home. It really wasn't safe for him to go to the Cat Kingdom. Baron and his friend had gone on separate paths to their homes once they had entered the portal. When the tawny cat reached his home,he stood at his front steps for a second, and looked up at the sky. It was a light blue canvas with white paint covering parts of it. His eyes softened. The blue was calming, and it was taking some of the stress off his shoulders. The color kind of reminded him of Louise's eyes... The stress came right back on his shoulders as quickly as it had been taken away. The cat sighed and entered his home.

A sunset-colored cat was sitting on a chair in the lounge, reading a book with a cup of tea sitting on the table next to her. When her son entered the house, she looked up. "Good afternoon, Humbert," Sophia took a sip of her tea. "How did the day go?" She smiled and put down her book.

"It went... well."

At that, her eyes hardened. "Humbert, what happened?"

Baron sighed. "I tried talking to Louise today."

"How did it go?"

"I never even got to talk to her. As I was walking towards her and her friends, they started talking about me," He pulled his ears back and looked away. "Then that girl..." The cat cleared his throat before continuing. " The one that is always late every morning, she stood up for me, and embarrassed herself for me," He paused. "At least the graduation as a month away."

"I'm sorry, Humbert. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I think I'll skip the tea for today, mother. I'm going out for a walk."

"Alright then," The lighter cat put her cup to the side. "Be back before dark."

"I will."

The orange cat then set off, and went through the portal to the human world. He could take a walk in the Cat Kingdom, but he decided to take a walk in the human world. In the Cat Kingdom it was always afternoon, while in the human world it was probably near sunset. As he walked through the portal, the sky was a deeper shade of blue. He walked onto the sidewalk,and then to a small park his mother took him to once when he was younger. He was going to sit down on a bench when the bench he was walking towards was taken. When he looked at who was sitting there, it was the same girl that had stood up for him that day. Baron froze, and when the girl noticed he was standing there, she looked up with a surprised expression.

"I'm sorry if I'm taking your spot, I'll leave now..." She started to gather her items.

"No, don't, it's not my spot."

"Were you going to sit here?"

"No, it's okay. I need to talk to you, though."

She held her breath. "Yes?"

Baron took a deep breath before talking."Thank you," He looked down to the ground. "I wanted to say thank you. I was too afraid to say it then, I'm sorry."

"Oh.. You're welcome..."

"You know, I'm in a pretty bad situation here. But not as bad as what you're in." The last part was mostly meant for himself, and he scolded himself for saying it aloud.

The brunette gasped. "How?"

The orange cat looked up, and tilted his head.

"How did you know?... No one knows. No one..." She widened her eyes. "Of course, you're a cat..." She slowly stood up. "You're just another that's working for _him_."

"Did I say something to upset you? I'm.. I'm sorry if I did.." Baron took a step forward.

The brunette took a step backwards, and she was shaking furiously. "Don't you dare..." She took another step backwards. "Don't tell him..."

The Baron looked surprised. "And who would that be?"

"Don't act like you don't know." She gave him a cold glare and ran away. She left all her things behind.

It was now sunset, and Baron was still standing in the same spot. He then looked at the things on the bench. It was her school supplies, and her phone. He picked them up. He'd return them tomorrow.

He walked through the portal to the Cat Kingdom, and walked home. It was a rough day.

* * *

Note: Yay! I wrote this on my trip to Atlanta, and then I finished it when I got home. Finally done with this one. Once again, feel free to point out anything, leave questions, etc.


	3. Chapter Three

~Hero:Chapter Three~

Baron set the girls items on the top of his bedside table, so that he wouldn't forget to bring them to her in the morning. He wasn't sure what he did to disturb her like that, and he was right when he thought there was something wrong that had something to do with her. He also cursed himself for at least not asking her name; it was getting irritating, having to refer to her as 'the girl'. Apparently the problem she had was something to do with cats, and whoever this mysterious man might be. The tawny cat felt guilty for scaring her off like that, and he hadn't meant to. She seemed like she would be a nice person if you somehow got her to warm up to you. She had a one friend, at last at school, which was a blonde named Hiromi. Baron thought about going to her to talk about the girl, but she would probably be scared of him. All girls were. But Hiromi's boyfriend, Tsuge, actually was a cat. She knew this, but Tsuge could use magic, so he was a handsome man with black hair. Baron bet that if Tsuge couldn't use magic to make himself human, Hiromi would break up with him the very first day. _If only... If I could be a human, maybe Louise might actually like me. _He sighed. It was time he got over the blonde, she only saw him as a cat, and she wouldn't want to marry a cat anyway, what girl would? He had no hope anyway.

Everyday he got swarmed with female cats, but he had no feelings for any cat. They always say that he is so handsome, and shower him with compliments. Only cats would ever find him attractive, and he only finds humans attractive. It was terrible, to be stuck like this. He checked the time. It was almost seven o'clock. The cat dressed in his usual vest and tie, and then walked down the stairs to the lounge and living area. Once he got to the bottom, the orange cat went to the living area, and picked a book from the shelf. The title read _The Beauty and the Beast. _A classic. He had read this many times before, and had it memorized. Sometimes he wished that certain fairy tales could be true, so that he'd actually find someone he loved that loved him back. the feline put the book back on the shelf. He then skimmed all the sections, not finding a single piece of literature that he hadn't read. Then he decided to just read one of his textbooks. There was that book from earlier that morning, but he didn't feel like reading that book so much anymore. He had already read it, and he still felt guilty about the poor girl.

"I see you went to the human world." Sophia was walking in the lounge, and saw her son looking at the books.

The baron jumped a bit, his mother's sudden words interrupting his thoughts. "How did you know that?"

"I still worry for you, Humbert, and after what happened to your father..." She trailed off, then continued. "Just tell me next time you go there. Where did you go to, exactly?"

"The park. I just wanted to see the sunset, and it has a nice view." He left out the parts of when he met the girl, it was just going to get his mother suspicious.

"Alright. But be careful next time you do go out there at night."

"I will, mother."

"Come, eat something. Dinner's almost ready." She walked back into the kitchen, her son following her.

The next morning, the baron took all his items and the girls items with him. He would be sure to ask for her name this time. He met up with Muta, and they walked to the portal.

"Why do you have all of that stuff on you?" Muta pointed to the girls things and phone.

"She left it somewhere and I picked them up, so I'm going to give them back to her at school. She must be panicking right now."

"She?" A now human Muta raised an eyebrow. "Who is this 'She'?"

"That girl. The one that is always late every morning."

Once they got to the school, the friends took their seats and waited for the class to begin. Baron was waiting for the girl to show up, and she showed up a few minutes after the bell, as always. This time she didn't have anything with her. As soon as she stepped in, she said, "I am so sorry, sir, I-I seemed to have forgotten all of my things somewhere, I.."

"Ms. Yoshioka, must we have to call your mother again?" The teacher turned from the chalkboard.

"N-No, I left them somewhere, and it's not at home."

Baron tried to get her attention without getting any others' attention by waving his hand, her things, but none of it seemed to work. Thankfully, she sat near him so he could give her her things during class time. For now, he tucked her things under his chair. the rest of the class was giggling and whispering, probably about the girl. Baron felt so sorry for her, he _had_ to help her. He couldn't bear to see anyone suffer this much, if they didn't deserve it. And this girl definitely didn't deserve any of this.

"Just take your seat, Yoshioka. I have no time to deal with this. Copy your notes off of someone else that sits near you."

"Yes, sir." She walked back to her seat, her face red. As she was walking to her seat she heard many people whisper things to her and about her.

"You better learn to be fast like your cat," said one person.

"Here comes the crazy cat lady."

"I bet she has a crush on that cat guy," This was whispered by a boy named Machida.

"I DO NOT!" The brunette was red with anger and embarrassment. "I AM NOT A CRAZY CAT LADY, I DO NOT LIKE THAT CAT!" Everyone fell silent as she walked back to her seat. After a while, people started whispering. Even the teacher turned around and had to readjust his glasses.

Baron figured that it would be best not to talk to her now. He would give her things back at lunch. It seemed that he would be the last perso- er, cat, that she wanted to see right now. He sighed and returned to his notes.

When lunch time finally came, Muta walked up to his friend. He was carrying two extra-large bento boxes. Baron looked at the bento boxes.

"Why do you always have so much food?"

"Normal sized boxes don't fill me up."

"They satisfy my appetite."

"These barely satisfy mine."

Baron looked at the girl. She was sitting in a corner of the classroom, by herself. She looked so lonely. Hiromi was with her boyfriend, and eating lunch with him instead of her friend.

"So, you gonna give the stuff to Chicky?"

"Yes," Baron picked up the girls things, making sure that all was there and still intact. "She looks lonely, and I still haven't asked her name yet."

"Why do you need to ask her name?" Muta snorted.

"It's only proper manners, Muta."

His friend raised an eyebrow at him as the orange cat walked towards the brunette. As he was walking, all the people in the way moved aside as soon as they saw him, and they kept glancing at the tawny cat. Baron ignored this, it happened every day. Also, his mind was on something else right now. Once he reached the girl, she didn't notice him until he started talking, it seemed as if she was in deep thought. She wasn't eating, just poking her food with the chopsticks in her hand.

"Um.. Hello?"

She quickly glanced up. When she saw her things in his arms, her eyes widened. But when she saw who was carrying the things, her eyes suddenly turned cold and glared at the orange feline.

"You left this at the park last night.."

She lent closer to him, and whispered. "What did you do to them?"

"Pardon?" Baron tilted his head.

"Stop playing stupid," She hissed. "What kind of drugs did you put on them? What kind of trap is in them?"

"Nothing," The cat had a surprised look on his face. "I did nothing to them, I promise."

"Yeah, right. Now tell me."

Now the cat was getting frustrated. "Look, I don't know what has happened to you, or why you absolutely loathe cats so much, but I can assure you that have not done anything to them, I barely touched them."

"You don't have to touch them, you probably just used your magic and poisoned them or something." She spat out the word 'magic' with disgust.

Suddenly the baron looked solemn. "No," He said. "Even if I really wished to do that, I wouldn't be able to."

"Why?" Now the girl was getting curious.

"I can only use magic for simple things," The cat explained, "Something that intricate, I would never be able to do that. Notice how I'm the only cat here? Well, I'm not the only one."

The brunette gave him a questioning look.

"All the other cats use magic to turn themselves human. Tsuge is a cat, but he uses magic to make himself human. It's the same with Muta." Baron looked at the ground.

"Oh..." She suddenly had a sorry look on her face. "So you don't know?"

He shook his head.  
"Well..." She took a moment to think of what to say. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you in here, I just can't risk it. Maybe some other time."

Baron handed her her things. "All right. I won't pressure you into telling me."

The girl made a small, fake smile and took her things.

"Also, I never got your name?"

The smile widened a bit and she answered. "It's Haru. Haru."

" I believe I never got to introduce myself properly, either." The feline smiled.

"But I know your name already," She tilted her head. "You don't need to."

"Not my full name."

"Alright then, what's your name?"

"My name is The Baron Humbert von Gikkengen."

Her eyes widened a bit, but then went back down." That's a nice name. Should I call you by your title or your name?"

"My friends call me by my title, my family calls me Humbert."

"Oh, okay, Baron. Do you care to have lunch with me?"

"Of course." He smiled and sat down on the desk next to her.

Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

Note: Ok, so it looks like I'm going to post one chapter a day, so I'll do that. Sometimes maybe two a day. Maybe. Please review, I wake up every morning excited to read them! ^^


	4. Chapter Four

~Hero: Chapter Four~

"Yes, Louise can be a bit mean," Haru started eating her food. Once she had swallowed her food, she continued. "The few times I tried to talk to her, she didn't really like me. But... Then again, it's just me. I'm not popular or anything. All her friends are well-known by all in the school and people only know who I am because I'm late every morning and clumsy."

"If you opened up more, you would probably be better known for your personality, Chicky." Muta had joined the two for lunch, and had also taken a liking to Haru.

"Perhaps, but I would still be known for my clumsiness," Haru took a sip out of her water. "There's no changing that."

"At least you would have more friends."

"True. But it's the same with Baron."

Upon hearing his name, the cat looked up. "What do you mean?" He had been listening to the conversation the whole time, but didn't talk too much. The whole time he was thinking of what exactly happened to the brunette.

"Baron, you're really nice when one actually decides to talk to you, I'm sure if Louise actually would give you a chance, she'd really like you." Haru took another bite of her food.

"Perhaps she would like me, but that wouldn't mean that she would love me. Even if she did, I highly doubt that Louise could bring herself to marry a cat. I don't think anyone would."

"That's not true," Haru looked up. "I'm sure someone would love you. What about cats?"

"I can marry a cat, but if I do it will be a loveless marriage on my side. And not only that, if I didn't marry a human, my entire family would be disappointed. All of the half-cats that came before me married a human, and they expect me to marry a human as well."

"Why would it be a loveless marriage?"

"This may sound a bit strange, but I have no feelings for cats at all. No cat has ever captured my heart. I always fall for humans, and I haven't fallen for anything else. I don't know about another half-cat, I've never met another one besides the ones in my family," Baron finished his lunch. "So, you see, I'm stuck in a situation that I can't really get out of." Baron was relieved, he really needed to talk this subject out with someone, and it made him feel a bit better to talk about it.

"Trapped in a situation where things just don't work out... That's almost just like me..." Her eyes suddenly had that faraway look again, and she was quiet for a long time.

Baron waited for her to say something else, but then he saw the way her eyes looked. He suddenly felt worried. "Haru?" That seemed to snap her out of her trance. She looked up at him.

"Yes? I'm sorry... I just... I was just thinking about something." She finished her lunch and they sat there, and no one said anything until Muta did.

"So, what's wrong with you, Chicky?"

"What?"

"You said that you were in a bad situation like Baron."

"Oh..." The brunette trailed off.

"So, what is it?"

"It's... It's nothing."

"Why do all of you have to be so depressed? I swear, first Baron, then this."

"It's personal, and I don't really want to talk about it now."

"Muta, please, we don't have a perfect life like you, so can you drop it?"Baron flicked an ear angrily.

Lunch ended, and everyone returned to their seats. At the end of the day, Baron approached Haru when only they and a few others were still packing their things.

"Haru?"

"Yes?" The brunette didn't even look up, but when she did her eyes softened. "Oh, good afternoon, Baron."

"Good afternoon to you too."

"So, do you need anything, or just want to walk home with me?"

"Escort would be more appropriate..." Baron coughed.

"Fine, escort me home?" She corrected herself.

"Well, no. But I can if you would like me to."

"No, my mother would probably go crazy if she saw a..." She trailed off, and tried to find other words besides 'half-cat' to describe him with. "If she saw me walking with a man. I'm not really attractive in anyone's eyes."

"No, surely at least one man would find you attractive. I don't find you that bad."

"I said the same about you, remember?" Haru smiled a bit. "Besides, you're a cat, it's different." She mumbled the last part to herself.

"How so?" Baron hadn't meant to say that, the brunette probably thought that he didn't hear her. His feline ears caught most sounds, though.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." They both said in unison. After that they both paused and looked at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

"Well, what I meant to ask, when did you say that you were going to tell me what happened?" Baron had a smile on his face.

The girl suddenly didn't look so happy anymore, and her smile vanished. "I.. I don't know," She continued packing her things. "It's still a touchy subject for me, and I don't know if I really want to risk it. Also, I... I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone this or not. I haven't even told my own mother. I'm sorry, Baron. I just don't think that I... That I trust you enough to tell you." She looked away and down to the ground.

Baron was expecting something like that. Why would she trust him, a half-cat, enough to tell him of some issue that concerned cats? It was only logical, and he suspected that Haru would rather stay safe than sorry. He nodded. "I understand. Like I said, I won't pressure you into telling me this."

"Thank you, Baron."

"Well, I guess I'll be off, then," He took her hand in his, and lightly kissed it. "Goodbye, Haru. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Baron."

With that, he walked out of the classroom, and walked home. Muta had already gone, so during his walk Toto came and landed on his shoulder.

"How was the day?"

"It went very well." Baron was smiling the whole time, and it never faded away.

"Are you sure?"

"Certain, Toto."

"Good. What happened to make you in such a good mood today?"

"I just met someone that accepts me, that's all."

Toto smiled and ruffled his feathers. "See? I told you someone would like you. Is it a guy or a girl?"

"Her name is Haru."

"Does it seem that she has an interest in you? Perhaps she may be the one."

"No, I highly doubt it. Something happened to her that involved cats."

Toto cocked his head. "She didn't tell you?"

The orange cat shook his head. "No, she doesn't quite trust me enough to tell me. It's understandable, I'm half-cat, and the problem involves cats."

Toto flew away when Baron was about to go into the portal. He walked towards his home. As he was heading there, there were cat scouts running out to the human world. He heard some cats talking about it.

"Why are all the scouts going out there? They usually just stay at the castle."

"Remember that cat the king tried to marry? She ran away, and the king cast a spell on her."

"What kind of spell?"

"It changed her future. She would marry a cat of royal line, and she would never be able to see her family again. Her mother was killed the day after she ran away. So, now the scouts are searching the human world to see if she went there."

Baron no longer listened, he was nearing his home already. That poor cat, her family killed without her knowing. He sent his heart out to her, wherever she may be.

* * *

Note: Okay, I will post two chapters today, because I feel like it. Plus, I was bored, so I started writing.


	5. Chapter Five

~Hero:Chapter Five~

The next week was a good one for a certain half-cat. Haru had warmed up to him a bit more, but she still didn't tell him about the incident. Baron didn't pressure her, like he said, but was curious as to see what had happened. The graduation was two more weeks away, and when last week he had looked forward to it, now it didn't seem so exciting. He was eager to get this over with, but now he was actually enjoying school the time was going by so fast, a bit too fast. He slowly realized that a certain brunette was clouding up his thoughts, and pushed away the fact that he may have a small, tiny, crush on her. Even if he did love her, he didn't think that she would return his feelings. It seemed that he was the only cat that she was comfortable to be around. Since the time was flying by so quickly, he tried to find a way that he and Haru could spend more time together.

"Have you ever gone to the Cat Kingdom?" After the orange cat said this, he almost smacked himself on the head. Of course, she would have been! Why else would she have a problem that involves cats? Baron was about to say something, but the brunette answered his question.

"The Cat Kingdom?" She smiled. "Oh, yes I have been. Actually..." Then she trailed off, and shook her head. As always, she looked so lost, and her eyes took on the same, guarded, faraway look. "Never mind," Many times humans went to go visit the Cat Kingdom, it was like if someone was visiting another country, except all the people were, well... cats. Not to mention that everything there was so different. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you would like to visit, but then I realized that you probably might not like to go there..." Baron gave her an apologetic smile.

"Oh, it's alright. I haven't been there in so long... But I still don't think I'm ready to go back." Haru looked out the window.

"Are you able to get out of this... situation?" He knew this was a touchy subject, but he was one of the girls closest friends.

"I don't know," She sighed. "I really don't. There is one way I can, but it would cost me all my happiness..."

Baron had tried several times before to talk about this, but when he did the girl never carried on the conversation much, always avoiding it. Not this time, though. "Why would it?"

"It's because..." She caught herself about to tell her secrets, and stopped herself from saying them. "I'm sorry, like I said, it's a touchy subject. So, how is your family?"

"My mother is doing fine. From what I have told her about you, she thinks you're a very nice person and she would love to meet you," Baron was a bit sad that she let go of the conversation just like that once again, but it was a start, and he got some information about her. He was still trying to solve the puzzle, but she had all the pieces he needed to complete it. The problem was that she just wouldn't give them to him. "She would like you to come over to the estate to come and have dinner with us some time this week," Baron explained. "How does that sound?" He tilted his head.

"It would be nice for me to do that, and I'd love to. But, it's in the Cat Kingdom, and I just don't think I can risk going in there. I can't let any cat see my face..." It was true, whenever there was a cat other than Baron or Muta near her, she automatically shielded her face or looked away to where the cat couldn't see her face.

"You could wear a hood or something until you get there."

She thought about this for a minute, then shook her head. "No, they'll ask why I'm wearing a hood. And I don't know if I can risk your mother seeing me either." She looked down to the ground.

"She already knows that you're stuck in a bad situation, and wont give any of your secrets away, I can assure you. Also, we can just say that something happened to you and you aren't comfortable enough to show your face yet." Baron smiled.

"Yes, but there's always the chance that..." She took on a worried expression and looked back out the window. She rested her head on her hand, and it looked like she was in deep thought.

"Just trust me." Baron placed his gloved hand on top of hers, and a smile was on his face.

She looked up at him, her eyes widened a bit, but then she looked away. She paused for a moment before answering. "Okay." She turned her head away from him.

The orange cat smiled and his eyes softened. Was that a tiny blush that he just saw on her cheeks? No, why would she love him if she hated almost all cats? And If she did, he didn't think that she would be able to live in the Cat Kingdom. Also, the young brunette already had a crush on a boy named Machida. A _human_ boy. Something that the cat would never be. Oh, what he would give to be one, that way he may be able to find someone he loved that loved him back. Baron shook off these thoughts and continued speaking."Alright, so when would be a good time? Not tonight, my mother wouldn't be prepared for that. Perhaps on Wednesday?"

"My mother would worry where I would be going, so, another day, yes. I'll have to ask her. Wednesday sounds good, though." She turned her head to look back at him, and she smiled a bit. If she had really blushed, her blush had gone down to only a slight, almost unnoticeable, light pink on her cheeks.

"Alright, I'll tell my mother about it, and you tell yours," It was funny how they both had single mothers, he didn't know how Haru had lost her father, but he had lost his father when he was very young, so the orange cat never really knew much about his father. From the pictures and details his mother had, Thomas was an orange and cream cat just like him. All humans that married the half-cats in his family were turned into half-cats themselves. He never saw any pictures of his father when he was human, but his mother described him to be handsome with blue eyes and tawny hair. He was a gentleman, like his son. Baron inherited almost everything from his father, except for his eyes. He had his mother's eyes, which were a beautiful shade of emerald-green. "After school, am I correct?"

"Yes, after school."

With that they ended their conversation and went on separate paths to their own homes. Muta had already gone home, and Baron was staying to talk to Haru after school everyday, so Muta didn't even bother to wait for the tawny cat. Baron went on his usual path home, and as usual, Toto landed on his shoulder. The crow was happy to see his friend had finally found someone that liked him, and was glad to hear that Baron was planning to invite the girl over to his estate for dinner, and always gave the orange cat that 'I told you so' look. The two had a small chat, not really about much. It was mostly consisting of "How was your day?" and other similar things, like the weather.

Once the tawny half-cat reached the ice blue portal, he stepped in as Toto flew away. He walked home, and as soon as he stepped in he looked for his mother.

"Mother?" He didn't see his mother, but could hear voices coming from the kitchen. One of them was the tawny cat's mother, the other a man. Baron listened to them, pressed his ear on the wall. He knew that he was eavesdropping, but it was for good, the conversation may be about something bad.

"I already told you, I don't know anything about this girl!" Sophia hissed. "I haven't even heard about this until yesterday!"

Baron winced, he rarely heard his mother mad, the last time being when this drunkard wouldn't leave her alone ten years ago. No one has bothered her since then. He continued listening.

"Ma'am, you were her mother's best friend, there must be something that Mitsuki must have told you about her daughter? Don't worry, I'm only here because I need the information for the king, I wouldn't even think about arresting you! You took no part in the incident!"

"She would have told me, but you cats killed her before she could say anything!"

A deafening slap echoed the hallways, and Baron ran to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, and there was a black and white cat bending over, clutching his left cheek with his paws. The young tomcat was wincing with pain, and backed off. As he was walking backwards, he stumbled into the tawny baron. "Excuse me,..." the black cat muttered. He looked up and saw who he had backed up into, apologized and walked out of the kitchen. After a minute, the opening and closing of the front door was heard. Once the two half-cats were positive that the black cat had gone, they spoke.

Sophia sighed. "About time you had showed up, Humbert," She walked over to the pot on the stove. "That cat wouldn't stop prying. Oh, and I've also burned the stew. This day just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it?" She sighed once again and started to clean up the mess.

"Mother, I have some good news that will make you happy." He smiled.

"Oh, and what is it?"

"Haru will be able to come for dinner on Wednesday, perhaps. She hasn't asked her mother about it, though, but she's sure that she will be able to, as she has no plans for that particular day."

At that, the sunset cat's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! I wonder what I should cook..." She had a wide smile on her face. "I cannot wait to meet my future daughter in-law!" She squealed with glee.

"What?" Baron looked at his mother as if she were crazy. "Mother, do you really think that she would marry me? Remember, I told you that something happened to her that involved cats. Also, I don't think she would be able to bring herself to marry a half-cat, anyway."

"You never know," She said, and opened a cookbook. "Do you love her, Humbert?" This was a serious question, and she turned to look him in the eye.

Baron took a few moments to register what his mother had just asked him. After a moment, he answered the question. "I... I don't know." He said honestly. He was about to say "No," but he knew better than to lie. Especially to his mother.

His mother smirked and turned back to the cookbook.

With that Baron walked out of the kitchen and up to his room. When he came back down, he was wearing the usual red vest and blue tie. The graduation was so close, and the orange half-cat tried to see if he and the brunette could still keep in touch after school ended. He wouldn't be going to college, he had already learned everything that he needed to for his future place in the Gikkengen estate. For now, his mother was the owner of the estate, and when her son graduated, that place would be handed down to him. This was because when there is a male of age, the oldest male that fits the requirements and is of the Gikkengen family runs the estate.

The Baron returned to the kitchen, where he brewed himself some tea. He settled down in the lounge, and during that time a certain brunette clouded his thoughts once again. He thought less and less of Louise, he was already over the blue-eyed blonde. Even if she had accepted him, the half-cat didn't think that he would be able to bring himself to love her. She had a very nasty attitude, and Baron was amazed that he hadn't noticed that during the time he was admiring her. Haru was very nice, once one somehow got her to warm up to them. She was pretty, too, and the half-cat wondered why no man liked the brunette. Oh well, their loss. Baron sighed with content. It turns out he_ did_ lie when he answered his mother's question.

Yes, he loved her.

* * *

Note: Sorry for not posting a chapter yesterday, I was gonna post this but I had no time.


	6. Chapter Six

~Hero:Chapter Six~

The next day Baron was very anxious to hear whether Haru would be able to come to have dinner at the estate. He was rushing to get ready, but then stopped himself. She was late everyday, so why rush? Baron had encouraged her to get up earlier every morning and the brunette had been less late... But now she showed up just as the last bell had rung. The orange feline sighed, but he still had a smile curving his features. At least she wasn't as late. Baron still wished that she'd come earlier so that they could chat a bit. In truth, he had already known that he would fall for the brunette one way or another. In the middle of all these good thoughts, the "What if's?" came into play. What if she didn't return his feelings? What if she already had someone that she loved that she never told him about? What if she just rejects him for what he is? What if she wouldn't be able to love him because of her situation? What if-

"Humbert? Get up, it's getting late!" a feminine voice rang out the halls, cutting into the orange and cream half-cat's thoughts.

At the sound of his mother's voice, Baron broke away from his thoughts. He checked the time. He had fifteen minutes until the first bell would ring. He quickly got dressed, and ran down the stairs. He passed by his mother, and ran out the front door. Muta was probably already there, and probably thought the half-cat was sick or something of the sort. Baron had never been so late before in his life, he was the early bird that usually got the worm. Not today. He lived relatively far from the school, so it would take him some time to get there. He ran, his feline agility helping him much. He was running on the sidewalk, occasionally jumping a long way, when right next to the school, he bumped into someone.

"Pardon,"

"Excuse m-"

Was all the two could say before colliding. Baron had come to an abrupt stop when he met with the other person. It was female, and sounded familiar. Baron registered these thoughts before he registered the feel of something on his lips. He slowly opened one eye, to see a _very_ familiar brunette with her eyes wide open, looking at him. There was a huge, deep red blush evident on her face. Their faces were so close, they could have been kissing... Could have... Wait, no! They were kissing! They were kissing. It took the half-cat a moment to register this, then his eyes widened as far as they would go and he felt his face grow red. He was sure it was showing through his fur. The two stood there for a second, both burning a red crimson, before they both pulled away.

"Haru!?"

"Baron!?"

They both said the others name in unison. When Haru didn't say anything more, Baron spoke.

"Haru, I swear, this was not intentional, I never meant to do that, I am so,so sorry!" He tried to find more words, but he couldn't. "Haru... Haru, are you okay? I'm sor-"

"I should be saying sorry," She looked away, trying to cover up the blush. "I was clumsy, and I didn't see you... I was just standing there... I'm sorry."

They both paused for a moment, standing there, looking at each other. They snapped out of their trance when the first bell rang. "Great," Baron muttered. "Haru, we really need to hurry."

She nodded, and then Baron set off running again. She tried to keep up, but couldn't, she just wasn't as agile as her feline friend. "Baron, go on ahead," She took a bit of time to catch her breath. "I can't run as fast, so you go on."

Baron turned around to look at her, and ran back to where the brunette was. He picked her up, one hand supporting her legs, the other her upper body. In each hand he took their things, and ran to the school.

"Baron!" Haru's face turned deep red, and she didn't even try to hide it this time. "You don't have to do this..." She looked away, her face turning a deeper shade of crimson.

"Wouldn't want to be late, though?" Baron said as he ran up the stairs. "Don't worry, you don't weigh much. Look, we're almost there," The class was in the hallway that they had just entered, and Baron paused for a bit. "Think you can make it from here?" He set her down, not wanting to embarrass her or himself by letting the entire class see him carrying her bridal-style into the classroom.

"Yes," Haru took her things. "Thank you, Baron."

"Of course." With that, the two set off to the class, they got there just as the bell rung, and when they rushed into class, the pair received several raised eyebrows from many people. The teacher looked at them as well, but then returned to whatever he was doing before the two had burst into the class. There was still a few minutes of free time left.

They walked to their seats together. Once they had both settled down, Baron turned to Haru. He tried to forget what had just happened, and neither of them brought it up. But, in truth, it was still stuck in both of their minds, and they would never forget it. "Haru, have you asked your mother to see if she allowed you to come for dinner?"

"Yes, and unfortunately, no. Next week, though. I'll be free that time. But, this weekend, would you like to go out for a bit? On Saturday." She tilted her head, a very feline-like gesture.

"That sounds wonderful." Baron smiled, he was a bit disappointed that she couldn't come, but at least she would be coming next week and he would be spending time with her on Saturday. Was this what some call a date? No, he wasn't courting her. He may try in the future, though.

She smiled, and the Baron found himself lost in her chocolate eyes. They were beautiful, and he couldn't stop the smile or blush that crossed his face. He also noticed the slight pink on the girl's cheeks, but that may be just the color of her skin, or leftover adrenaline from the previous run. For a while, neither of them said anything, both staring into each others deep eyes. Now that the two were actually looking forward to school, all the stares and teasing, the embarrassment, it was all nothing. Who cares if they got laughed at? They had each other for support. Baron felt as if he could do anything when he had the brunette by his side, she gave him courage, and when she needed it, he gave her courage. And the bond they had was unbreakable. They broke out of the trance when the teacher announced that class was starting.

As usual, they sat together for lunch and talked together, with the occasional comments from Muta. There were more and more awkward moments between them as of late. They ignored these and were still friends, amazingly enough.

"I still don't like how no one ever uses the 'don't judge a book by it's cover' rule," Haru said, with a hint of anger. "If they did, it would really help both of us out." She looked out the window.

"Not everyone has a pure heart, love," Baron didn't notice that he had said "love", and looked out the window as well. He turned solemn. "Unfortunately," he added after a moment.

Haru turned her head to look at him, her eyes widening a bit. Her cheeks turned into a small pink and she tried to cover it. She didn't acknowledge it, there were already too many moments like this that had happened in the past two weeks, and she didn't mind this...

"Unfortunately..."

Once the day was over with, Baron walked home. When he opened the door, before he could do anything, his mother started talking.

"So, what did she say?"

"Haru? Unfortunately, she cannot come this week. Next week will be fine, however."

She looked sad. "Ah, such a shame. Oh well..." She started back to the kitchen.

"I'll be gone Saturday morning, I'll be out with Haru."

She stopped and turned around to face him, and then smirked. "So you're going out for a date with Haru?"

"No, I'm just spending time with her."

"Sure. But do not lie, you do love her."

"I said that I didn't know."

At that the sunset half-cat put her hands on her hips in mock-anger. "Humbert, I am much older than you, and I know these things when I see them," She set her hands down. "You are in love, Humbert. Do not deny it."

Before her son could further protest, she walked away, into the kitchen.

That night the Baron went over the day. He blushed when he thought about the kiss and when he had carried her to school. If he hadn't done that, she may have been late. Might as well use his feline agility to help more than himself. _I'm in love...? No, It can't possibly... It wouldn't work out for us anyway... _ But still he hoped, he hoped that the brunette that he loved so much loved him back. He hoped that whatever this situation was, this... barrier, he hoped that he would be able to break it, to save her from whatever trouble she has had with cats. Baron chuckled to himself. As of late, he had been reading more romance novels and books. He was coming down with something, and it was Love-sickness.

* * *

Note: Sorry for the short chapter, I wrote this whole thing then I pressed backspace... and the page changed. So... yeah.


	7. Chapter Seven

~Hero: Chapter~

The rest of the week went by quickly, as usual, and the next thing Baron knew it was the weekend. Today was Friday, and he was looking forward to tomorrow morning. He had already gone to school that day, and got home a few hours ago. Now he was pacing his bedroom, wondering whether he should bring her flowers, chocolates, or even anything at all! They weren't together, no, but it was impolite to go meet a lovely young lady without anything to give her, wasn't it? He knew what he was going to wear, and it was a white suit with top hat and cane.

He didn't want to give her normal flowers, even though she loved them. She deserved more than plain flowers. He wanted to give her something that she could keep forever, so that when they graduated she would have something to remember him by. He thought about a necklace, or a piece of jewelry. That would be good, but the girl still loved flowers. Then he had an idea. His mother had a crystal rose necklace that his father had given to her once, and she no longer wore it. It was perfect. The half-cat would ask his mother for permission to give it to Haru. He walked downstairs.

"Mother?"

"Yes?" Sophia looked up from her book.

"Remember that rose necklace you had, what has happened to it?"

"Hm? Oh, that." She walked out of the lounge to her bedroom, and after a moment she walked back into the lounge. In her hands was the simple piece of jewelry. It was a silver chain, with a crystal rose hanging from it. It was beautiful, and had a tinge of blue to it, but what was even better about it was that it shined a rainbow of colors at once, and when held up to the sunlight it revealed a small engraving on the inside of the rose. The engraving read only one sentence, and it said "Believe in yourself."

Baron didn't say anything for a moment, still looking at the small, yet beautiful little rose.

"Why did you want to see it?"

He snapped out of his trance and answered his mother. "I was thinking about giving it to Haru," he explained. "I came here to see if you could part with it or not."

Her eyes widened a tiny bit, and she smiled, looking at the necklace. "It would be perfect. Go ahead, give it to her." She placed it in her son's hands.

"Thank you, mother." Baron smiled.

"Also, whoever wears this necklace will always be protected. They will never be harmed as long as they keep the necklace on, and it can grant that person one of their greatest desires. Your father enchanted it to do so."

"So that means that the wish has been used already? If you had used it, I mean."

"No, it's separate for every single person. I already used up mine."

"For what?"

"Oh, it was around the time when your father started courting me, and I wished to marry him." She suddenly looked sad.

"Oh." This was all Baron could think of to say, he had never really known his father all that much.

"Humbert, do not give this to her until you confess to her, though. It won't work if you give it to her before you start courting her." She had a serious look on her face and was looking him in the eye.

Baron looked a bit surprised, then looked at the jewel in his hand. "I will." He didn't know if would ever be able to give this to her now. At least, not until her problem was solved.

At the end of the day, he placed the necklace on his bedside table.

In the morning, he was constantly adjusting his bow and top hat before he left to go see the girl. Baron decided to just have a maid pick some flowers from his mothers garden. He was fidgeting around and looking very nervous. The orange cat jumped a bit when his mother placed a padded hand on his shoulder.

"Humbert, relax. Don't worry, this happens to everyone," She held the flowers Baron had requested in one of her hands, and placed them in his. "You should be going now, off with you." She nudged him toward the door, and when he stepped out of it she closed it on him before he could protest.

Baron took a deep breath before walking towards the portal. His heart was thumping madly. He jumped again when Toto landed on his shoulder once he had entered the portal.

"Where you going, Baron?" Toto flew to a nearby tree and landed on a low branch. He eyed the bouquet that the half-cat held.

"I'm going to spend the day with Haru," he said simply.

"Oh, really?" He smirked. "I told you that you would eventually fall in love with her."

"Yes, I know. But I'm not in love," he lied. If his friend knew, he would never hear the end of it.

"Go ahead and say that, Baron."

"Now, if you'll pardon me, I need to go pick her up." He tipped his hat at the crow, and headed off before his friend could say anything.

He followed the signs, and finally got to the house that Haru lived in. The cat paused for a second before the house, and then hesitantly walked to the door, hiding the flowers behind his back. Baron was sure that he was blushing at that moment. Very slowly, he raised his gloved hand up to knock on the door. While doing this, his hand was shaking terribly. Once he had knocked, he heard voices coming from inside.

"Oh, that should be him. I'll see you later, mom!"

"Be careful."

"I will." With that, the door swung open, and Haru stepped out, wearing a beautiful white summer dress with a white sun hat. She smiled as soon as she saw the half-cat.

"Good morning, Baron."

"Good morning." He tipped his hat to her.

She stepped out of the door and closed it, and looked back to see if her mother was spying on them. When assured that she wasn't, she took Baron's offered arm and they started to walk out of the neighborhood. Once they had gotten out of the houses area, Baron showed the flowers, and she took them with joy.

"Oh, this is wonderful! I've never seen these kind ever before. Where did you get them?"

"My mother has a large garden in our estate, so I got them from there. She loves gardening, and we have many different flowers."

"My mother's best friend used to own a garden, but then we had to move away."

"Why's that?"

She paused for a second. After a minute, she spoke. "Something came up that caused m-us, to have to move away." She was about to say "me", but stopped herself.

"Oh, well, shall we head off? I don't know much about this place, so I don't really know how to navigate it."

"Oh, it's fine," She waved it off. "Lets head to a cafe or something to get something to eat first. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"No, have you?"

"No, so let's go and eat then."

"Alright." They walked out of the neighborhood, and Haru led him to the crossroads. There was a small cafe there, and as soon as the couple stepped in, the smell of coffee and food was everywhere. It was a bit overwhelming for Baron's refined sense of smell, but he could deal with it.

"Baron, remember, you're paying."

He gave a defeated smile. "As long as you don't get anything so expensive."

"It's tempting. And if you're going to run an entire estate soon why are you worried? You would probably have loads of cash coming in, even now."

"True."

The two both got tea and scones, and both sat down in a booth seat, facing each other.

"I never noticed, Baron. You actually look really good in a suit."

He laughed. "I always wear it, wherever I go besides school. When I'm at home I just wear a red vest and tie."

"Yes, I've seen that. From that night at the park." She giggled, and took another sip of her tea.

The rest of their time at the cafe was filled with small talk. Baron didn't even notice the stares that he got from all the other people there, all he cared about was the brunette that he was spending time with. Once they had both finished their tea, Haru looked out the window, and then suddenly brightened.

"Let's go to that art show!" She pointed out the window, towards a large building that could be rented out for various purposes. For today, it was apparently being used to hold an art show.

"Sure, I always have been fond of arts."

She smiled brightly and dragged him out of the cafe, holding his hand. She didn't even notice the blush that was showing through the orange half-cat's fur.

* * *

Note: I am so sorry that I didn't upload yesterday, I had to go to a funeral. Also for the short chapter. I think I'm going to put up one chapter every other day.


	8. Chapter Eight

~Hero:Chapter Eight~

"Must we pay to enter?" Haru had finally let go of Baron's hand once they had reached the building's entrance, and was starting to miss the feel of her hand around his, even if his hand was gloved.

"No, I do not believe so," Haru mocked Baron's way of speech in a light manner and put a finger to her lips to make it look like she was thinking.

The half-cat gave her a mock-glare, and she stuck her tongue out and giggled.

As they walked into the art show there were stalls everywhere with people painting, sculpting, carving, and other means of creating art. What caught Haru's attention the most was the carving stall. There was an old man there, and he had laid out several carved wooden figurines on the table in front of him. There was a sign by him that said that he accepted requests.

"Baron, we should get a figurine of us!"

"Hm?" Baron looked at the old man and his stall.

"You heard me, come on!" Once again she held his hand, and dragged him towards the stall.

"Hello." The old man chuckled at the couple.

"How much are the requests?" Haru asked.

"I'll be happy to do them for fifty dollars."

"What? That is too cheap for one figurine!"

"Well, you two are the first that has asked me today, so I'll do them for fifty."

Baron smiled. "Would you mind doing two, for both of us, then?"

"Of course not." The old man picked up a camera.

"Why do you need that?" Haru was still holding Baron's hand, but held it a bit more loosely when seeing that he wouldn't try to break out of it.

"So I can get pictures for reference," The old man fiddled around with the camera. "It may take a few days. I also need one of your phone numbers."

Haru handed the old man her number, and he took both of their pictures, front and back. "Also, when you make me, can you also turn me into a half-cat, like him?"

Baron's ears perked up, but he didn't say anything.

"Sure. Would you two like to have any poses or clothing added to your figurines?"

Haru nodded. "Keep his outfit, and make mine some old-style dress. Also, for the pose..." She put her arm into the nook of Baron's arm.

"Haru," Baron managed to say while blushing furiously.

The old man chuckled again and took another picture, front and back.

"Just pay me when you get the figurines."

"Alright." Haru nodded and smiled.

"Good day." Baron tipped his hat at the old man, and then the two left to go look at the other things, Haru's arm still in Barons.

The art show was mainly filled with paintings, and most realistic and abstract. Baron liked the most realistic ones, and Haru agreed with him. Modern art was very simple, even if it was pretty, and it seems that any one could paint them. It just didn't give too much credit to the realistic artists, who use all their time to make a beautiful picture.

Once they had finished looking through the art show, the couple then said goodbye to the artisan that was going to carve their figures, and then headed out the door.

Baron checked the time. Now it was a bit over one. He had left at eleven-thirty. It was amazing on how fast time flew by.

"Baron, you have a single mother like me, right?" The two were sitting on the park bench where they had stumbled into each other last time.

"Yes." The question was sudden, but Baron didn't acknowledge it.

"How did you lose your father? I'm sorry if this is a touchy subject, but I'm curious. You don't need to tell me." She looked up into the sky. The cherry blossoms that were blooming the season before were now normal trees, but still a magnificent shade of green.

"Oh, it's quite alright. I never really knew my father, as he died when I was very young. He looked just like me as a half-cat, except for eye color. He had blue eyes, while my mother had green. One day he went out to the human world at night, and never came back. My mother went looking for him, while letting one of her friends, Mitsuki, watch me, along with her daughter. I forgot her name, but I rarely saw her afterwards."

"Mitsuki?" Haru's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, I'm sorry, go on..." She looked sad, and looked down to the ground.

"Do you know Mitsuki? Her daughter actually rejected the cat King, and now scouts are looking everywhere for her. The King cursed her, and now she will be destined to marry a noble cat. Her family was also killed," He shook his head. "It must be horrible. She doesn't even know that her family was killed."

A small gasp come from Haru and she covered her mouth with her hand. She was still looking down at the ground, but she was shaking violently.

"Haru, are you okay?" Baron leaned down to see her face. Her eyes were shining with tears, witch then flowed down her cheeks and hand. The orange half-cat's eyes widened. She looked so helpless, and seeing her like this hurt him more than any embarrassment ever had.

She suddenly noticed him, and wiped away her tears, trying to calm herself down. She sat up to face him, her eyes still red and brimmed with tears. "I'm sorry, it's just... I feel bad for her. What if she found out? She never got to say goodbye. She would never be able to go to the funeral, visit her grave, see her little brother's face again... It's too much. She probably doesn't even know that she was cursed." She suddenly started crying again and buried her face in her palms.

Baron didn't say anything, he just took her in his arms and comforted her. It was what she needed most right now. After a while, her sobs turned into sniffs.

"Haru, how did you know that she had a little brother?"

She paused for a minute. "I was just guessing, it just seemed as if she had a younger brother."

Baron dug in his front shirt pocket and took out a white handkerchief. He wiped off the stray tears on the brunette's face and then handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said with a hoarse voice."

Another couple hours went by, and the two went for a stroll in the city and park while talking and going some shops in those hours. Now it was time for Baron to return Haru to her home. He dropped her off, they both said their goodbyes. Haru kissed him on the cheek.

When he got home, he was in deep thought. How had Haru known Mitsuki?

"Mother, what was Mitsuki's daughter's name?"

"Hm? Oh, I think..." She held her chin in thought. "I think her name was Haru. Not the Haru you know, though. Many people and cats have that name."

"It is a coincidence."

"How so?"

"She somehow knew Mitsuki."

"Well, she could have met her before when she was a cat."

"Perhaps." Baron sighed. Yes, a strange coincidence indeed.

* * *

I am so sorry for the short chapters lately, also for the HUGE delay, I just have a LOT of school work to do, and it takes up all my time. Please forgive me!


	9. Chapter Nine

~Hero: Chapter Nine~

"Would you like me to pick you up, and then bring you to my home?" Baron tilted his head.

"Yes, that would be good. I'll have to change, and get ready. Not to mention bring that hood." Haru giggled.

"Alright. Remember, five o'clock."

"Don't worry, I won't forget that easily." She laughed.

Baron kissed her hand and then left the almost empty classroom. Today was Wednesday, so he would pick up the lovely brunette tonight. His mother was a bit worried, as her son was going out at night. The orange cat had assured his mother that all would be fine, and he and the brunette would be safe.

When he got back to his home, he put on his crisp cream-colored suit with the matching top hat and cane, along with a blue bow tie. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he kissed his mother on the cheek, assured her once again that he would be safe, and then walked out the front door. It wasn't that dark outside, but it was a bit gloomy, and it was turning a darker shade for every minute that passed by. Soon, the sun would set, and let the moon take it's night shift.

Baron went through the portal to the human world, and then started along the road which led to Haru's neighborhood. Her neighborhood wasn't very large, but it held a reasonable amount of houses and people. It was nice and homey. Once he had reached the cluster of houses, the orange half-cat then started to walk down the twists and turns to the brunette's home. He knocked on her door, not feeling that nervous, now that he had done it before, but still slightly hesitating before he knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal Haru, in a simple white and gray dress, and in one hand holding the hood. She smiled at the half-cat. "Good evening, Baron."

"Good evening, Haru." He returned the smile.

She took the offered arm and stepped out of the door frame. "Alright, this time you lead the way."

He nodded and then led her to the portal that led to the Cat Kingdom. Before they stepped in, Haru put on the hood that she had brought. After she had put it on, the couple was about to go into the portal, but then Haru hesitated.

"Baron, I don't know..." Her face wasn't visible, since the hood was covering all of it, except for loose strands of hair and a bit of her chin and cheeks.

"Don't worry, Haru. I'll be sure that no one sees your face or tries to. I promise."

She hesitated a bit more, but took a deep breath and walked through the portal with the orange half-cat. Once they were on the other side, Haru froze and didn't continue walking. She was trembling terribly.

"Come, Haru, don't worry. I promised, am I correct?"

It looked like she nodded, but Baron couldn't tell if she did or not, because of the black hood covering her face. They started walking, and Haru gripped Baron's suit tightly. After about ten minutes later, they reached the estate. Baron led her inside, and as soon as she was fully in the estate and the door was closed, she pulled off the hood. Baron took it and placed it on the golden coat rack next to the door, and then placed his suit, hat, and cane on it as well. His mother was in the kitchen, he assumed.

"Haru, my mother should be in the kitchen, still cooking dinner. We still have a bit of spare time before she is finished." Baron smiled. "You said that you liked old folktales, and we have many here."

"You do?"

Baron nodded. "In the lounge. Shall I lead you there?"

"Yes, please," Haru smiled. "Wow, this place is magnificent! And this is just the entrance!"

"Then you will like the rest of the rooms. The lounge is this way." He led her into a large, round room with two large bookshelves on each side of a large fireplace. Over the fireplace, there was a painting of the von Gikkengen family. There were also paintings of the previous members of the von Gikkengen family hanging on the walls. In addition, there were two red velvet couches sitting across from each other, with a wooden coffee table resting in the middle.

Haru marveled at everything, not finding a single flaw. "Baron, you really do live with class, don't you?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid so."

Haru walked up to the painting of the von Gikkengen family above the fireplace. Presently, it was just a picture of a young Baron, his mother, and his father. "You look exactly like your father..."

"Yes, except for the eye color. See, my mother had green eyes while my father blue?" He pointed at his mother, and then father in the painting.

"Your mother is beautiful." Haru smiled. "She also looks somewhat familiar..." She looked faraway for once in a long time.

There was a long silence. The brunette then tried to brighten up the moment.

She giggled. "Baron, you looked so cute as a kitten." She had a warm smile on her face.

Baron coughed and blushed, not finding anything to say.

Haru giggled once more and turned around to look up at him.

Baron finally found his bearings. "Haru, you said that you would like to see the books we own, right?"

"Yes, and also, what kinds of books do you have? Besides the old folktales, I mean. Not that I don't like them." She walked over to one of the massive bookshelves and started scanning it, reading every single book's title.

"We have many older novels and books for studying. I know that it isn't much, or like modern day books and novels, but we don't really read too much of those here, and we prefer the older books." He walked over to the spot next to her.

"Oh, that's fine. I never really liked reading a bunch of the newer books, and I always loved older books. I prefer them. Although the older books that I read weren't as old as some of these, I'll still enjoy these, I'm sure of it." She smiled and pulled out a thick book. When Baron got a glance at the title, he saw that the book was a classic, _Pride and Prejudice._

He smiled. "Good choice."

"I started reading this a few years ago, but then I lost the book. I didn't get very far in it." She sat down on one of the red velvet couches.

Baron scanned the bookshelves himself, and then picked out a random book and sat down on the couch opposite of Haru. After what felt like an hour passed by, but really was just five minutes, he looked up at the brunette. His eyes widened, and he jumped a bit.

Haru somehow noticed this, and looked up. "What's wrong?" She tilted her head in a very cat-like fashion.

He chuckled a bit at himself for being surprised. "Oh, you are just turning into a cat, is all."

She tilted her head again and had a confused look on her face. The brunette then searched for her ears. Her human ears. They weren't on the side of her head, but on the top of her head, and they were large triangular shapes. Not only that, but she could feel a short tail becoming longer and longer. She didn't look shocked, or even the least bit surprised. "Hm. It's been so long since I've been a cat. I almost forgot what it felt like." She flicked her ears to test them out.

Baron relaxed. "You took that better than I expected it."

"Baron, I've been through this before, I was expecting to turn into a cat soon, anyway." She smiled.

"Dinner's ready!" A feminine voice rang out through the halls.

"That would be my mother. Follow me, Haru. The dining room is this way." He led her to the dining room, which Haru marveled over again.

The two took their seats as Sophia walked into the room with three steaming plates filled with food.

"Haru, I've been dying to meet you! As you may know, I'm Baron's mother. I didn't know what you liked to eat so I just made something simple." She sat down across Haru.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not picky. I'll eat anything if it tastes good and is edible."

She laughed. "Then you'll love this."

Dinner was very simple, as Sophia had said it was. There was a roasted chicken breast with some pasta in an Alfredo sauce. Along with some vegetables, of course. During dinner time, they all chatted and asked each other questions. During the time, Haru was slowly changing into full cat. Now she had paws and a muzzle, along with a little nose. She wasn't even aware of these changes until Baron's mother noticed it.

Suddenly, in the middle of conversation, the sunset-colored cat's eyes widened. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Are you THAT Haru?! Mitsuki's daughter?!"

* * *

Note: Wow, I wrote this in one hour. Go me.


	10. Chapter Ten

~Hero:Chapter Ten~

Haru didn't know what to do. She couldn't run, she couldn't do anything. So she just sat there, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She clutched her dress with her paws, and she was shaking violently. _No,no,no,no! Why? Maybe I should have killed myself back then. None of this would have happened... _Tears were about to stream out of her red eyes when Sophia embraced her.

"Oh, I am so, so sorry. You have been through so, so much worse than us all." It looked as if the sunset half-cat was on the verge of tears as well.

Baron's eyes widened. He had probably hurt her so much back in the park, and now he knew why she cried during that time. To just know that your entire family was murdered and you would be forced to marry a noble, it was horrible. "Haru," he said, but couldn't find any words. He reached out his gloved hand over to her, his mother still comforting Haru. The brunette cat was now sobbing, and looked like a kitten being comforted by their mother. He decided to just let his mother do the job. She was used to this, after all.

When her sobs finally subdued, she broke from Sophia's hold.

"Th-Thank you," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

Baron's mother placed a padded hand on her paw. "It's alright, dear. If anything, we would be on your side." Sophia then gave her a sweet smile, which was returned.

Now Baron was noticed. Upon seeing him she let a few tears slip past her guard once again."Should I explain?"

"You don't have to right now,but sooner or later, we will have to hear it."

"I can explain it now," Haru took a deep breath and began."When the king was going to make me marry him by force, I ran away before he could make me his wife. He also forced me to live in the castle with him, as many of you know. When I ran away, I never told anyone. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my mother or Takeshi," At her younger brother's name, she took another deep breath, and then continued. "I went to the human world, while I was still a cat. That was when I realized that I didn't have any plan. To be honest, suicide was one of my top options. But I decided to keep moving on. I used magic to make myself human, although I hate using it, and stumbled into Naoko. You could say that she was my mother, and I told her about everything. She is the only human that knows my secrets. She cared for me and enrolled me into school, so that I would seem like a normal teenage girl. And then I met you." She looked at Baron with a grateful smile.

"Is there any way that we can help you?" Baron finally spoke.

At that she looked solemn again. "I don't think so. I'm destined to marry a noble cat, whether I like it or not. I'm destined to lose all my happiness."

Baron couldn't help but realize that he was a noble cat, perhaps not of high rank, but he was still a noble. And he had deep feelings for Haru, even now when he knew her secret.

She brightened up. "But I'm going to delay that as much as possible." Haru had a determined look on her feline features.

"So we can't do anything at all? All we can do is sit here and watch you suffer? That would make my mother and I feel very guilty." Baron looked worried.

"There's nothing anyone can do, Baron. I'm cursed, and that's it. Nothing more can be done." Despite all of this, Haru was still semi-cheerful and was talking about it very casually like it was an everyday thing that happened to everybody.

Baron took on a solemn look. "I'm sorry that there's nothing we can do to help."

Haru waved it off. "Don't be. It's not your fault, all the blame goes to the wretched King." She spat out the last word with disgust.

"If you say so," The orange half-cat turned back to the table. "Let's continue discussing this while eating, shall we?"

The feline brunette nodded her head and everyone returned to their food. The rest of the night was spent discussing different topics, as if none of what had just happened was real. It then got late, and Haru had to go home.

Baron followed her to the main entrance. "Would you like me to escort you to your home?"

"Oh, no, it's fine." She picked up her hood and other things on the coat rack.

"Are you sure?" He tilted his head.

"Baron, I'll be fine, and I can take care of my self."

Before he could say any more, she kissed his cheek and slipped on her hood.

"I'll see you tomorrow, and try not to be so paranoid," she giggled as she walked out the door.

He chuckled a bit, but was still slightly concerned. "Alright... Have a good evening."

With that they both waved each other goodbye, and Baron watched her walk on the path that led to the portal. Once she had turned the corner and was no longer visible to him, he closed the door.

Something about this made him feel very bad. Something would happen, and it wouldn't be good at all. He cursed himself for not insisting to escort her home. Then, he checked the time. It was eight-thirty five. He then decided to read for the rest of the time he had before he went to bed. Baron couldn't concentrate on reading or studying, because he kept worrying for Haru. Perhaps he was being a bit too paranoid. But it's good to be prepared for things, right? But constantly worrying was entirely different.

By the time he went to bed, he couldn't fall asleep because of this. It was like his mind was screaming, _Haru! Haru!_ Over and over again. Every time it did, he just kept telling himself that he was just being paranoid, over and over. It became a routine in the night until he finally got peace and fell asleep. His dreams were full of nightmares, though. The night was not pleasant.

He awoke earlier in the morning as usual, and found out that he was eager to get to school so he could talk to a certain brunette. Despite falling asleep extremely late and waking up every few hours in the night, and also waking up early, he was actually wide awake. Perhaps even more than other normal days. He got to school early as well, and waited for Haru to get to school.

The bell had rung. She still wasn't at the school yet. _Perhaps she's just late again, like the other days. _He tried to convince himself that this was why she wasn't here, or because she caught a cold while walking in the night, or something. Anything but something bad had happened to her.

Ten minutes later, she still hadn't shown up. Then he knew that something had happened. Something bad. And he could have prevented it.

* * *

I am really sorry for the long wait, it was my birthday, and then there was a funeral to go to. And THEN I had TONS of assignments. All due on one day. Well, don't expect to see the chapters come out often now, I'll try to upload once a week or every other week.


	11. Chapter Eleven

~Hero:Chapter Eleven~

"Baron, relax," Muta stuffed another bite of food in his mouth. Once he had swallowed all of it, he sipped his water and continued. "Chicky's probably just sick or something. Maybe she just caught a cold from walking outside in the night."

"But I can't help but think that something has happened to her." Baron sighed.

"You're just being paranoid. You always are," Muta scolded.

"I'm going to go to her home after school to see if she's okay."

"Whatever," Muta said as he took a bite out of a cookie.

They continued eating in silence.

Once the day was over, Baron ran out of the school and jogged his way to Naoko's house. He knocked on the front door. It opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with short red hair and glasses.

"Um... Can I help you?" She shifted her glasses.

"Ms. Yoshioka, is Haru okay? She didn't show up at school today."

"She didn't show up at the house last night..."

"What? So she's lost?"

"I called the police and they couldn't help either." She took on a solemn expression.

"Has Haru told you about me?"

"Yes. You're Baron. Normally I wouldn't trust her around cats, but... You're pretty much the only friend she's had."

"I'm also aware of her.. situation."

"She's opened up to you that much?"

He nodded. "On a more serious note, do you think that.. That she's been found? By the cats?"

"That was the first thing I thought. And yes, it is a huge possibility," She sighed. "Unfortunately I can't do anything to help her if she has been kidnapped."

The panic started to grow. "I think I'll be able to do something, Ms. Yoshioka. Good day." With that, he left and rushed back to the Cat Kingdom. If the king were to get married, he would set up a ball with his fiance. That would be where he would save her.

Once he reached his home, he realized that he had no way to save her. So he paced his room back and forth, and then noticed the little blue rose necklace on his bedside table. _Of course!_ _The necklace protects whoever wears it, right? So Haru will be safe. _He seemed satisfied with his plan.

But then he had to confess to Haru before giving it to her.

He didn't think he could do that any more. But it could be the only way that he could save Haru.

"Ahh, this is so frustrating!" Baron clutched his head with his gloved hands. If he didn't do it, then he wouldn't be able to save her. If he did, that means he would have to tell her that he loved her. Well... The worst that could happen if he did confess would be her saying no, and he'd still save her. He sighed. His fears would take over his actions, and that would mean that he would rather let Haru have all her happiness taken away than confess to her. Utterly stupid. He smacked his head. Sometimes it seemed as if he just had no brain at all.

So it was set. He would confess, put the necklace on her, and make his escape. When would he rescue her? An idea popped into his head and he grinned widely. This plan would be perfect.

Now all he had to do was wait.

The king called everyone to one spot so he could make an announcement. Baron listened intently, so that he could get all the information he could. His mother was standing beside him in the massive crowd.

"I'm here to introduce my lovely fiance!" The Cat King, who had a maniacal grin on his face, gestured to a pair of large red curtains. A few seconds after the announcement, the curtains parted to reveal a crying, feline form, of Haru. Her face was red both with anger and sadness. She was also wearing a large, puffy lavender dress. The king had probably picked it out for her.

As soon as she was revealed, Baron felt a twinge in his heart to see Haru so sad like this. But then almost everyone in the crowd was yelling insults at the king and boo-ing. Baron joined in shortly after, and his mother was beyond angry.

The king waved them off and sent some cats with tuxedo fur to make sure no cat did any harm to him.

"The ball will be on Wednesday night, and the wedding on Friday! All are invited!" Later on, he grumbled, "Except for the poor and free-loaders..." This gained more protests from the crowd, or at least the part that heard it.

Baron had two days to think over his plan. Once the announcement was over and all the cats were leaving, he and his mother left to their home. As they were eating dinner, Sophia looked angry the entire time.

"Humbert, what are we going to do, if anything at all?"

"Don't worry, mother. I have an idea," he reassured.

"It had better be a good one!" she hissed.

Baron flinched a bit at his mother's anger, but explained his plan. "Mother, remember that necklace you gave me to give to Haru?"

"Yes."

"Well, since it protects the person that wears it, I'm going to give it to her at the ball and confess to her there as well."

Sophia calmed down a bit. "And when it protects her, what are you going to do then? She won't be able to get hurt, so nothing would happen to her. And she wouldn't be able to get married to the king, so..." She suddenly realized what her son was going to do. "Humbert! Do you know how dangerous that could be?! You could die!"

"Mother, it's the only way. Also, I'm skilled in sword fighting."

"Humbert, do you really think you could take on that many cats? You're only eighteen for heaven's sake!"

"Would you rather Haru suffer for the rest of her life or me risking death?"

She paused. After a moment, she found her voice. "Humbert, I trust you enough to do this, but be careful... If one thing were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do."

Baron nodded. "Thank you, mother."

She smiled.

"I think I should retire for the night. Good night." He kissed her on the cheek.

"Good night."

With that, he walked up the stairs to his room and was troubled with nightmares. He also found it difficult to fall asleep. Oh well, at least he had a stable plan that would definitely work.

* * *

Note: I was rushing to finish this one (Because my friends wouldn't leave me alone until I updated the story). The story is going to end sometime soon, but don't fret! I have another idea, although it's extremely new. Keep a lookout for it after this one is done! ;)


	12. Chapter Twelve

~Hero: Chapter Twelve~

It was Wednesday, and Baron was getting ready for the ball. It was a masquerade party, so he was wearing a silver mask and a dark blue cape and coat. He also put on a feathered hat before leaving. Muta was also going, but he probably wasn't going to wear any masks. His mother decided not to go as well.

Baron checked the time on the big grandfather clock. The ball was going to start at six o'clock, and now it was five forty-five. Fifteen minutes to spare. In this time, he checked to see if he remembered to bring everything he needed. Every cat was going to give the king and queen something as a wedding gift, so Baron was going to give Haru the necklace. It was in his pocket. It seemed he was ready. It was now ten minutes before six.

"I'm off, mother!" He called before leaving.

"Be safe!"

With that, he walked out the house and started on the path that led to the palace. As he was walking, there were other cats who were also going to the ball. He had to shake off several female cats who had taken an interest in him. When he got there, there was a small group of cats that were playing various instruments.

He saw Haru and the king sitting at the other end of the room. It hurt him so much to see Haru crying, and the king not paying any attention to it. At least acknowledge your fiance! This angered Baron even more, and he walked towards the two. They were taking the gifts and opening them. Well, not they, rather the king. Haru was just sitting there, crying. She received pitiful looks from the cats that passed by.

Then, a waltz song started to play. As soon as it started to play, a white cat with blue eyes walked up to him. There were already various cats starting to dance. Baron was about to turn her down, but she looked like someone he knew. She had hands like a human, and feet as well. She was a half-cat like him.

She looked so familiar. She was also very beautiful. Baron just stared in awe. The white cat was also wearing a blue gown, which fit her perfectly. She was also slightly yellow, but just a little bit.

"Um... Baron? Are you listening?" Her voice was also very familiar.

He broke out of his trance. "Oh, I'm sorry. What was it that you said?"

A very noticeable blush broke out on her feline features. "I'm Louise. I know you in school, right?"

Now Baron knew. It was Louise. She was still beautiful, but how come all of the sudden she was paying attention to him? "Yes. Is there anything I can help you with?" His voice was now stiff.

"Um.. I came here because I would like to dance with you. I have been admiring you the whole night..."

Baron was getting angry. "Why are you suddenly taking an interest in me? Is it because I'm a half cat here in the middle of a bunch of cats? Why not at school? I loved you then, I really did."

She was a bit surprised. "I have always liked you..."

"No you didn't!" Baron snapped.

She flinched. "I- I.. Um.."

"Is it because of my family? Is it because of my rank? What is it that you want? Money? Riches? Bragging rights?"

She didn't say anything.

Baron didn't say any more and left. He found that the king had left to go attend some business, and left Haru alone. Baron walked confidently up to where she was seated. She was currently pawing a fish while sniffling. The orange half-cat cleared his throat. He was getting nervous, but he had to do this.

"Excuse me, Miss Haru," He extended his gloved hand. "But would you care to dance?"

Haru looked up, her eyes shining with tears. She stiffened.

"I.. I don't know how to dan-" She was cut off.

"Just trust me."

She froze, and placed her pawed hand in his gloved one. He led her around the table, and guided her through the steps. She was beautiful, even as a cat. She was wearing a yellow ball gown, and it was very puffy. It looked extremely uncomfortable. He pulled her into a dip and twirled her around.

She actually danced very well, even if she occasionally stepped on his foot a few times. Once they were finished, Baron kept her from walking away and held her close.

"Wha-" She started, confused and blushing.

"Haru," Baron said, and then took a deep breath, "There is something I need to tell you. You probably have no clue who I am, but you will eventually figure it out."

She stayed completely still, listening to him. "Wha-What is it? And who are you?"

"Like I said, you'll figure it out." He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the scent. It no longer smelt like the normal lavender scent, and now smelt like heavy perfume and a sweet smell. He preferred the older scent.

"Okay..." She had calmed down, and seemed very comfortable.

"Haru," He started, and then cleared his throat. "I.. I..." He couldn't say it. Come on, it couldn't be that bad, she didn't even know it was him!

They stood there in silence for a minute. Then Baron spoke.

"Haru, this is a necklace that protects you, and will grant one of your greatest desires." He took the necklace out of his pocket, showing it to her.

"Wow.. It's so pretty..." She reached out to touch it, but Baron pulled it away from her.

"Haru, I can't let you have this yet.. But once I give it to you.. Don't ever take it off. Ever."

"I won't." She nodded, still looking at the little crystal rose.

"Now I have to tell you something."He paused.

She nodded, urging him on.

"Haru... I love you."

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Note: Sorry for the short chapters lately, but I was sick for a bit and went to a sleepover, so I was busy. But there will only be a few more chapters after this one! D: The end is nigh!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

~Hero:Chapter Thirteen~

Haru didn't say a word. Baron waited a moment longer, then put the necklace around her neck.

"Haru, on Friday, use the one wish you have. Use it to free yourself. And like I said, never, ever, take it off."

"...Alright.." She looked at his eyes through the mask. Her eyes widened. She knew those eyes, that emerald green. "Wait, are yo-"

"I'm sorry, but I must leave now." He smiled at her, and then kissed her on the cheek. The king had come back, and Baron left.

Baron didn't stay for the rest of the ball, since his job was done. Louise had tried to catch his eye a few times, and he just gave her a cold glare each time. As he reached his home, he saw his mothers silhouette in the window. Before he could knock on the door, his mother opened it.

"Humbert, how did it go?" She seemed very panicked.

Baron smiled. "I gave her the necklace and confessed to her."

Sophia sighed in relief and put a padded hand to her forehead. "Oh, thank goodness!" She stepped aside so that her son could enter the house.

As he walked in he took off his hat, mask, coat and cape. It was extremely hot to wear all those heavy clothes on top of his normal clothing, and that on top of his fur. He sighed. Baron hoped that Haru would keep her promise of never taking off the necklace. Now all he had to do was wait. Again.

He still couldn't believe that he had confessed to her. And at the end, he saw her eyes widen. She probably had found out who he was, and now she knows that he loves her. "Oh well.. Some things just have to happen.." He mumbled to himself, while walking up the stairs to his room.

He checked the time. It was 9:15. He could go to bed, since he was extremely tired. May as well. It'll also make time pass by faster. He changed and plopped down on his bed. He lay there, thinking about what may happen in the near future. His mother broke his train of thought and made him jump.

"Humbert," she shouted from the bottom of the stairs,"You haven't had supper yet! Are you sure you want to go to bed right now?" She sounded worried.

Baron thought about this for a bit. He was hungry, but not to the point of absolutely having to eat something. He could manage to fall asleep. The orange half cat answered his mother. "No, thank you, I'm not feeling very hungry at the moment."

He heard something that sounded like an "Alright" from his mother, and his mind trailed off to another topic. He was remembering all the moments he had spent with Haru. It got to the point where they were at the art show and paid for a carving of themselves, as half cats. The shop owner said that he would call Haru when he had finished the carvings. Haru's phone was at Naoko's house, so he probably had gotten either answered by Naoko herself or just not answered at all. That is if Haru put her phone on vibrate instead of ring.

What would happen after all of this? The graduation was next week... Would she avoid him? No, that doesn't seem like something she would do.. But will it be awkward? All of this and more kept repeating itself in his mind. Baron sighed. He always troubled himself, and always lost countless hours of sleep from it. He forced his mind to wander about other things, and eventually fell asleep.

Haru was sitting on the giant bed in the room she was staying in for the next day. She had kept her promise, and kept the necklace on. She realized who had given her the necklace and was thinking of what would happen in the near future. Hopefully this necklace would work, and her wish would be granted. And the brunette cat knew exactly of what to wish for. She was actually anticipating the wedding now, so she could make this wish.

But what if it didn't work? She trusted Baron, but there was always a chance that this would fail. It seemed that she was losing courage in herself more and more everyday. She examined the tiny rose more, admiring it. To see it better, she held it up to the light in her room. She let out a small gasp. There, on the rose was a tiny engraving. It read "Believe in yourself".

She smiled. This was the first time she had smiled today. It was strange. She smiled so often the past few weeks. Baron had become a big part of her life. She caught herself blushing at the thought of him and snapped herself out of it. She knew she was in love with him, but it was strange to accept the fact. Countless times she had told herself that she wasn't in love with him, but when she had, it made her feel a bit of sadness.

The time was 9:30. Perhaps she should be getting to bed.. But she wasn't tired at all. And the bed she was meant to be sleeping in was much too fancy for her taste. Everything in the room was elegant, and many things were gilded. Everything in Baron's house was elegant as well, but his house had a much more antique feel. It made her feel comfy and at home. Well, she had been there a long time ago.

That one thought about Baron then led to another, and another, and she was blushing again. She didn't even try to snap herself out of it. _Oh well.. I'm in love and there's nothing I can do about it, can I? Might as well let myself daydream..._

She was looking at a mirror as she was daydreaming, and another thought entered her head. She hadn't seen herself as a cat in such a long time. It was nice to see what she looked like as a cat. Actually she was very pretty. She always thought of herself to be ugly as a cat. She then continued to daydream, and she then fell into a deep sleep, better than any rest she had gotten in a while.

* * *

AHHH! I'm so sorry! I hadn't updated in a LONG time, and I'm so, so, SO sorry for that! I had to study for finals and exams, so I had SO much to do... I am sorry for the short chapter and the big delay... I'll be uploading the last chapter as soon as I can!


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